Scottie Scheffler claimed a fifth victory of the PGA Tour season after Robert MacIntyre squandered a four-shot lead during the final round of the BMW Championship.
MacIntyre’s commanding overnight advantage disappeared inside the first five holes of an eventful final day at Caves Valley Golf Club, where Scheffler capitalised on his slow start to jump into top spot.
Scheffler gave MacIntyre hope with two bogeys early in his back nine but followed a birdie at the 15th with a sensational chip-in from off the 17th green, before closing out a final-round 67 to end the week on 15 under.
MacIntyre’s three-over 73 saw him finish runner-up ahead of Maverick McNealy, who ended four strokes back, with Sam Burns briefly within two of the lead until a bogey-bogey finish dropped him to tied-fourth alongside Tommy Fleetwood.
England’s Harry Hall jumped inside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings and qualified for the Tour Championship after finishing in sixth place, while Rory McIlroy birdied four of his last eight holes to salvage a level-par 70 and end tied-12th.
How Scheffler snatched victory from MacIntyre
MacIntyre’s cushion was immediately halved with a two-shot swing at the first, where he missed a seven-footer to save par as Scheffler holed from the same distance for birdie, with the overnight leader also bogeying the par-four next.
Scheffler stumbled to a three-putt bogey at the third but found himself level after another two-shot swing at the fifth, with the world No 1 making a birdie as MacIntyre found the greenside bunker on his way to another dropped shot.
MacIntyre scrambled a par at the seventh but fell behind when Scheffler holed a five-foot birdie, although the American squandered opportunities from inside eight feet at both the eighth and 10th holes to extend his advantage.
Scheffler temporarily moved two clear with a close-range birdie at the 11th, only to bogey the next after watching MacIntyre make an eight-foot putt to remain at 13 under.
MacIntyre bogeyed the par-three 13th but was back within one of Scheffler after he missed from inside three feet and three-putted the par-four 14th, before the three-time major champion bounced back by birdieing the next.
Scheffler was forced to lay up – after finding the bunker off the tee – on his way to a par at the 16th, where MacIntyre almost holed his approach shot and closed within one after registering a first birdie of the day.
Momentum moved back Scheffler’s way at the par-three 17th, where he sensationally holed out from the greenside rough for an unlikely birdie, giving him a two-shot buffer to the par-four last.
Scheffler found the final green in regulation and lagged his birdie putt to tap-in range, with a par enough to complete an 18th PGA Tour victory and become the first player since Tiger Woods to win five or more times in consecutive seasons.
“When it gets to this time of the year it can be a little bit tiring,” Scheffler said. “Today was a grind, and I think it just has a lot to do with the intensity we bring to each round and each shot.”
The six qualifiers for Team USA’s Ryder Cup team were confirmed after the final round, with Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English joining Scheffler, JJ Spaun and Xander Schauffele in the automatic places for Keegan Bradley’s side.
Schauffele failed to move inside the top 30 of the FedExCup standings and progress to the season-ending Tour Championship, with Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jason Day among the other players to miss out.
Bradley will name his six captain’s picks on Wednesday August 27, following the PGA Tour season finale. The European Ryder Cup qualification campaign ends at the Betfred British Masters from August 21-24, with the DP World Tour event the only remaining way for players to earn qualification points.
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the Tour Championship live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. Not got Sky? Stream the women’s majors and more with no contract.
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